Come and celebrate Culture Days in St. Catharines! Join us from Sept. 19 to Oct. 12, 2025, as we celebrate art and culture through a diverse range of free live performances, workshops, and events. Culture Days is a nationwide initiative that brings together creators, artists, community groups, and institutions to offer free arts and cultural experiences to the public.
About Culture Days
Each year, creators, grassroots community groups, public libraries, independent artists, collectives, municipalities, as well as major arts, culture, and heritage institutions participate in Culture Days by organizing free arts and culture events. In 2024, over 5 million people across Canada attended thousands of events in their communities.
Partners
In 2025, we will collaborate with the St. Catharines Public Library and the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts as location hubs during Culture Days. We will also partner with Carousel Players, Future Black Female, Niagara Artists Centre, Niagara Grape and Wine Festival, the Rodman Art Institute of Niagara (RAiN), Suitcase In Point, The Brown Homestead and Willow Arts Community to offer free and pay-what-you-may activities, in addition to working with artists and community partners who received funding through the St. Catharines Cultural Investment Program.
Free activities and workshops
For a seamless experience, visit culturedays.ca, where you can easily search for activities based on location, demographics, and genres, and access registration information as applicable.
Here are some of the exciting events that will take place in St. Catharines in 2025.
September 19-21 |
The Market Discovery Table - Apples featuring Town & Country FarmsSaturday September 20, 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon Market Square, 91 King Street Celebrating its 15th year, the Market Discovery Table invites you to explore local produce with tastings, history, nutrition tips, crafts for kids, and this week’s feature: apples. No registration required. Soul Canvas Culture Day CreationSaturday September 20, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, 15 Artists' Common Part one of this two-part event, Future Black Female and Suitcase In Point invite Black and Indigenous youth to join workshops in visual arts, poetry, and theatre with local artists - complete with food, community and a chance to showcase talents on the BlackOwned905 stage at the Niagara Grape & Wine Festival. No registration required. Music in the Square – AcaciawoodSaturday September 20, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Market Stage / Market Square, 91 King Street Music in the Square returns with live local performances on the Market Stage from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring Acaciawood this week. No registration required. Community Open HouseSunday September 21, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul Street Join the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre for a FREE Community Open House and celebrate the PAC's 10th Anniversary! This event will feature interactive activities, giveaways every hour, music, and so much more. And YES, there will be cake! All are welcome. No registration required. |
September 26-28 |
Culture Days Flag RaisingFriday, September 26, 4-5 p.m. City Hall - Front Lawn, 50 Church Street Join us at City Hall for a community flag raising with artists, organizers, Councillors, and City staff to officially launch St. Catharines’ highlighted Culture Days hub weekend, September 26-28. No registration required. Opening Reception: Annual Juried Exhibition: LayersFriday, September 26, 5-6 p.m. City Hall - Third Floor Gallery, 50 Church Street Experience the opening reception of Layers, where artists use layering of materials, ideas, memories, and experiences to reveal hidden stories, shifting histories, and transformations that invite you to look beyond the surface. No registration required. Montebello Park Fall FestivalFriday, September 26, 4 p.m. to Sunday, September 28, 6 p.m. Montbello Park, 64 Ontario Street Experience the 74th Niagara Grape & Wine Festival at Montebello Park, Canada’s largest and oldest wine festival, featuring world-class wines, culinary delights, live entertainment, parades, art, family activities, and more. No registration required. Analogue FuturesFriday, September 26, 7 p.m. to midnight 60 James Street Analogue Futures is a one-night immersive event of experimental film, sound, and tactile media, where performances, workshops, and interactive labs transform obsolete technology into contemporary art. No registration required. The Market Discovery Table - Canning featuring Porpiglia FarmSaturday, September 27, 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon Market Square, 91 King Street Celebrating its 15th year, the Market Discovery Table invites you to explore local produce with tastings, history, nutrition tips, crafts for kids, and this week’s feature: canning. No registration required. Grape and Wine Grande ParadeSaturday, September 27, 11 a.m. to 12 noon Downtown St. Catharines, 194 St. Paul Street Celebrate the 74th Grape amd Wine Grande Parade, a cherished Niagara tradition featuring marching bands, floats, dancers, and over 1,500 performers, with community spirit, family fun, and support for Community Care. No registration required. Music in the Square – Charles J HunkSaturday, September 27, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Market Stage / Market Square, 91 King Street Music in the Square returns with live local performances on the Market stage from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring Charles J Hunk this week. No registration required. Community Mural Making DaySaturday, September 27, 12:30-4:30 p.m. Silver Spire United Church, 366 St. Paul Street Join Willow Arts Community in creating a large-scale collaborative mural that will be installed outside Silver Spire for the community to enjoy year-round. No registration required. BirdsongSaturday, September 27, 2-3:30 pm St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre, 425 Carlton Street An interactive cultural experience for families involving original music, puppetry and an outdoor participatory performance. No registration required. Family Fun DaySunday, September 28, 12 noon to 6 p.m. Montebello Park Family Zone, 64 Ontario Street Sunday at Montebello Park is Family Fun Day, with all-day kids’ activities, inflatables, crafts, and the vibrant Pied Piper Parade at 4 p.m. No registration required. The Mayor's Invitational Grape StompSunday, September 28, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Montebello Park Pavilion, 64 Ontario Street Cheer on Mayor Siscoe, Niagara First Responders, the Next Gen Grape Growers, and a mystery team as they face off in a lively grape-stomping relay, celebrating Niagara’s winemaking heritage with community spirit and friendly rivalry. No registration required. |
October 3-5 |
The Market Discovery Table - Pumpkins featuring Niagara Strawberry & Fruit FarmSaturday, October 4, 9:30 am to 12 noon Market Square, 91 King Street Celebrating its 15th year, the Market Discovery Table invites you to explore local produce with tastings, history, nutrition tips, crafts for kids, and this week’s feature: pumpkin varieties. No registration required. Quilting for Love with Heather HabgoodSaturday, October 4, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. St. Catharines Public Library - Central Library Branch - Mills Room, 54 Church Street Take part in a Quilted Pride Flag Workshop to help create a 3' x 5' flag celebrating love, identity, and community, with the finished piece gifted to the City of St. Catharines for display. No registration required. Tales & Trails: Autumn Playday at the HomesteadSaturday, October 4, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Brown Homestead, 1317 Pelham Road Families are invited to The Brown Homestead for an autumn playday with a Storytime Circle, nature-inspired crafts, garden harvesting, scavenger hunts, and outdoor activities for children up to age 12. No registration required. Brock Arts Club HubSaturday, October 4, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, Lobby & Room MWS156, 15 Artists' Common The Brock Arts Club Hub presents Artstravaganza, a lively event with six interactive stations where student artists offer workshops, performances, face painting, and hands-on art experiences showcasing the creativity of Brock’s arts community. No registration required. Day of the Dead Mexican Arts and Crafts Workshop with Luis Martin FloresSaturday, October 4, 12 noon to 1:30 pm and 2-3:30 p.m. Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, Room 151, 15 Artists' Common Discover Mexican cultural traditions in a family-friendly Day of the Dead arts and crafts workshop, where participants can create sugar skulls and colorful Ofrenda decorations—one of six stations at The Brock Arts Club Hub. No registration required. Music in the Square – Michelle Hedley AcousticsSaturday, October 4, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Market Stage / Market Square, 91 King Street Music in the Square returns with live local performances on the Market stage from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring Michelle Hedley this week. No registration required. Sculpting Model Magic with Dena Colling GelentsoSaturday, October 4, 1-3 p.m. St. Catharines Public Library - Central Library Branch - Rotary/Bankers Room, 54 Church Street Discover the art of sculpture in this family-friendly workshop using Model Magic to twist, roll, and shape creative designs while exploring colour, line, texture, shape, and balance. No registration required. Threads of Culture with Ebru WinegardSaturday, October 4, 2-4 p.m. St. Catharines Public Library - Dr. Huq Family Library Branch - Program Room, 425 Carlton Street This inclusive workshop invites participants of all skill levels to explore the ancient art of weaving, drawing inspiration from diverse cultures and the local environment. Pre-registration required. |
October 10-12 |
Expressive Medias – Free Art Workshop with Michelle NichollsSaturday, October 11, 10-11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. St. Catharines Public Library - Central Library Branch - Mills Room, 54 Church Street This 18+ mixed media workshop invites participants to explore collage, textures, printmaking, and mark-making through intuitive experimentation, leaving with prepared papers and finished pieces. Pre-registration required. Music in the Square – Barley BraeSaturday, October 11, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Market Stage / Market Square, 91 King Street Music in the Square returns with live local performances on the Market Stage from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring Barley Brae this week. No registration required. Mixed Media Masterpieces – Free Family Art Workshop with Michelle NichollsSaturday, October 11, 1:30-2:30 p.m. and 3-4:30 p.m. St. Catharines Public Library - Central Library Branch - Mills Room, 54 Church Street Families with children ages 4+ can collaborate in a mixed media workshop exploring paint, collage, printmaking, and everyday materials, creating take-home masterpieces while learning through play and experimentation. Pre-registration required. |